In January 1983, the Quebec Government made driver training courses mandatory for any person seeking a first driver's license. Using accident and licensure data over a five-year period, the authors conducted an evaluation of the impact of the enactment of mandatory driver training on: the risk of accident for newly licensed drivers; the mortality and morbidity of these accidents; the number of new drivers; and the mean age of licensure. Results of the time series analyses show that this legislation had no appreciable effect on the risk of accident or on the mortality/morbidity rate per accident for newly licensed drivers aged 18 years and over. However, since 1983, the number of women under 18 years of age getting their first driver's license has increased by 20 per cent, and their mean age has decreased from over 18 to under 18. Mandatory driver training may have increased the number and risks of accidents for young, primarily female, drivers. (A)
Abstract